Borough’s small businesses didn’t wait for assistance

Now business owners are hoping there are ways to prevent themselves from having to deal in the future with the destruction they saw in the April nor’easter.

By: Audrey Levine
   Some closed for a few days, others for a few weeks. Some dealt with damaged supplies, others with no electricity.
   But now, businesses in Manville are simply hoping there are ways to prevent themselves from having to deal in the future with the destruction they saw in the April nor’easter.
   Denise DeSantis, co-owner of DeSantis Cabinetry on Brooks Boulevard, said the flood left 8 inches of water that seeped in through the front door of her store.
   "We had to close up for about two weeks because of the cleanup and the smell," she said. "But we only had very minor replacements (of materials) that we cleaned up quickly."
   Ms. DeSantis said the store reopened after the cleanup and has been open since with no problems. Now, she is focusing on catching up with jobs that had to be postponed while cleanup was done in the store.
   "The customers have been very understanding," she said.
   Gene Landon, owner of Gene’s Car Care on South Main Street, said his business dealt with losing about 15 cars and other damages, including the destruction of some of his wooden doors.
   He said that, although he has been through four different floods, including Hurricane Floyd in 1999, during his 16 years in business in Manville, he is ready for there to be some form of help for the people being forced to deal with the constant destruction.
   "We don’t need this," he said. "There has to be an engineering feat to fix it."
   Mr. Landon said that, despite the damage, he was happy to be able to make repairs in a few days and reopen his doors to the community again. He said he had had to deal with much worse during Hurricane Floyd because much of his materials from inside the shop floated away when the doors opened from the pressure of the water.
   "April was our fourth flood, so we were ready for it," he said.
   Jeff Daniel, owner of the Red Door Grille on West Camplain Road, said he lost about $25,000 worth of inventory in addition to the loss of electricity. He said he is glad the restaurant, which he has owned for three years, didn’t suffer any structural damage.
   "I know the April flood wasn’t as bad as the last one," he said. "I thought the (borough) did a heck of a job with the cleanup."
   As a way of helping small businesses in Manville and Bound Brook, the Chicago-based company W.W. Grainger, in conjunction with the Somerset County Business Partnership, donated $50,000 through its Rebuilding America program. Businesses in need of funds can fill out applications to be awarded a piece of the grant money.
   "I want to thank Grainger and I hope more companies do this," said Mr. Landon, who is planning to apply for some money with the hope that any little bit will help. "But I’m not sure it will help a lot because of the amount of businesses that were affected."
   Ms. DeSantis, who said she is not sure if she will apply, said she is glad there is money available for those whose businesses are suffering.
   "It is always hard to get back on track, especially when it’s your livelihood," she said.
   While still trying to figure out how to keep his own business running, Mr. Daniel used the lack of electricity in his restaurant as an opportunity to help others in need. He said that while he had no power to run his refrigerators, he donated food items to the Red Cross, rather than allow them to spoil.
   "We fed about 1,000 families," he said.
   Mr. Landon said that, despite everything the businesses have had to deal with, the customers have remained true to them.
   "Manville is Manville and the customers stay with you through thick and thin," he said.
   To obtain an application to apply for the grant money, call the Somerset County Business Partnership at (908) 218-4300.